September rides

[Crankin]

Well, we are now in my favorite cycling month. Today's weather matched it, too. So many weeks of 90+ degrees and humidity. Ugh. We started our ride at about 68 degrees and clear/sunny. It got up to about 78, with some clouds.
Did the ride we were going to do Saturday, which ended up being 45 miles. It wasn't anywhere I haven't been, just a couple of roads we usually do in the other direction. Took a longer, circuitous way to get out to Bolton, which is very hilly, but then we turned off to head back on a road we love, and usually only do after a very hard climb that we haven't done in 2 years. The last bigger climb is called Long Hill Rd... it lives up to its name, but it is worse going the other way. This is actually the street the school I taught in is on, but it is in another town. The part we were on is very rural, small farms, and large properties. Once you cross the town line, about 3/4 a mile from my school, it's like there's hardly any greenery and lots of smaller homes close together. This is very typical of New England. We turned left right before this demarcation, down a lovely mile long hill that was part of my commute when I first started riding. We stopped at a park with a covered ramada to eat our sandwiches, and soldiered on. I felt tired at this point, and actually had some cramping, not bad, though, in my quads and calves. Somewhere along the way, I had to stop and eat a Shot Block.
So nice to not be dealing with heat. Going to go stretch!

[emily_in_nc]

Sounds like a nice ride, Crankin!

I too love September rides. I took yesterday off after riding three days in a row; felt like my body really needed a break. Today my DH's hip was barking at him (he'd ridden four straight days), so I did a solo ride. Same temps as yours but 18% humidity here in Grand Teton NP! It was beautiful but verrrrry windy out. Upper teens to lower 20s sustained, with gusts to 30+. I did basically a square, so I experienced everything from amazingly wonderful tailwinds that had me easily pedaling at 20+ to headwinds that made even downhill stretches feel like hills. The crosswinds were scary as they were either blowing me off the road or into traffic (fortunately there was very little).

The main purpose of this ride was to pick up a packet of mail we'd had forwarded here at a post office just two miles down the road from our campground. I passed the PO at the beginning of the ride but didn't feel like dragging the mail with me for the entire "square" so decided to get it at the end of the ride instead. Due to the wind, I bit off a bit more than I could chew and made it to the PO with only 15 minutes to spare before they closed for the day. I'd figured on a 25 mile ride but ended up with 38.2 instead!

Fall starts early here:

18142 18143

[north woods gal]

Yup, must be September. Had to wear leggings to start my ride, yesterday, but typical September, things warmed up, nicely.

My 23 mile ride turned out to be more of an adventure than I anticipated, though. Decided I needed to wean myself out of so much single track MTB work and figured riding gravel roads would make for a nice transition before getting serious on pavement. Headed to one of my favorite (and nastiest) sections of gravel road. About 4 miles in, stopped at an intersection with a gated road off to the side. Had stopped there, before, but this time I read some of the fine print on the posted map of the area (all managed forest land, owned by the country). Read in the fine print that bicycles and foot traffic are allowed on the gated roads, but no vehicles when the gates are up and the gates stay up all year long expect for deer season. Great!

Hoisted the bike over the gate and with the map still in mind, took off down the gravel road. Now, keep in mind, this is a remote area and there was a very good chance that I was the first person to use these roads all summer long. For sure, saw no sign of anyone having used them and, given the way the roads were washed out in spots, obviously the county hadn't maintained them for some time. The roads were actually pretty decent, overall, though, having been closed to vehicle traffic. Much better shape than the 4 miles of tortured gravel and sand roads open to ATV traffic that I needed to ride to get to this spot.

Glorious riding. Total serenity, total privacy and lots of wildlife sign, including what were some possible wolf droppings and some that were very definitely bear and tracks of both in places. Yup, I was in heaven.

Somewhere along the way, though, missed a turn in the network of roads, so, okay, I was lost. Had a compass, though, and figured if I just kept tracking west, I would eventually come out on a highway I knew. I was right. 9 miles, later, through some awesomely wild country, came to another gate with the highway on the other side, just as predicted.

Needed to ride two miles on this very busy highway to get back to my local paved road that would take me the several miles home, though. No problem, not with my Trek 29er plus Stashe with its 3" tires - a bike I use for these isolated backroads which often turn to sand. Even though the highway did have a narrow paved shoulder, just rode the Stashe out onto the much wider gravel shoulder for safety's sake. Actually, the Stashe handled riding this much better maintained gravel with ease and no problem keeping a reasonable 12 to 13 mph pace. Another discovery! With this bike, I could ride this highway and others like it in the area by taking the wide gravel shoulders with this bike. (Note: our highways have these wide gravel shoulders for the sake of handling all our snow in the winter.)

This discovery really is a gold mine for me. Probably 20 miles of these gated gravel roads in this area to explore and all just a short 7 mile ride or so from my house. Will return soon, but this time with a printed map or maybe it's time for me to buy that long overdue GPS.

23 miles total, 14 of which were awesome, remote gravel.

[Crankin]

Buy the GPS...
Both DH and I really were feeling our ride from yesterday. So, first, we walked to the farm, bought our veggies, and walked home, about 2 miles. The, after lunch, we took what we thought might be a 12-15 mile flat ride, but ended up being 10 miles of rolling terrain. We took it very slowly and I ended up feeling good. I should hike tomorrow, still worried about my trip, but I would prefer to ride.

[emily_in_nc]

Sounds like an epic ride, NWG -- great that you can handle riding those gravel highway shoulders!

We rode into Jackson (WY) from the campground at Grand Teton NP and made a lot of stops in town: farmer's market (very nice, but had to pass on a $30 huckleberry pie we wanted, once we heard the price! :eek:), health food store, bank, ice cream parlor (a $5 scoop of delicious, organic huckleberry ice cream sufficed to quell my h-berry craving!), and bakery. Busy day in town, of course, being a Saturday and Labor Day weekend. An excellent ride, marred only by a motorcyclist who yelled at us because we didn't put our feet down at a 4-way stop sign. We did "stop", or very close to it, and no one was coming, so we went on. So he was right, I suppose, but he was so nasty in his approach than he and my DH ended up in a cussing match, and I was nervous because for all I knew, he could have been packing (this is the wild west, after all), and I could just see him pulling out a gun and shooting my DH over something so stupid.

Testosterone! :mad:

Got in 32 miles.

[Helene2013]

A nice 70km ride today. Perfect weather. My dream weather has started. Although it will be very hot for the next week or so. I took it today. Very welcomed. I had planned 80km but the last 10km I knew I was pushing my knees too much. Even the front/back of my thighs were talking to me. So instead of pushing myself and injure my knees for nothing, I told husband to do the last stretch (he's much faster and stronger than me) by himself and I'd do the last 2.4km on my own and would wait for him at this bike rest area. It is safe and lots of people around. I will put some Voltaren on my knees tonight to avoid swelling, etc.

Overall, I am so happy of my ride. It is not an easy one and managed good time/speed on it.

Thought of going for an easy and shorter one tomorrow but we'll see how my knees are in the morning. Since we're at campground, that means we also have to walk the dogs a lot vs being home in our closed yard. So it adds to our "exercises".

I also signed up with my PT/Kineo for a yoga class starting on Sept. 12. She said she will give me options for the exercises that would be too hard on my knees (like the warrior position).

I just can't wait for summer to go away and bring me decent weather so I can come out of my hole (like a bear in the winter - but me it is summer).

[rebeccaC]

Nwg…if you do go GPS and if any of the trails/roads you find on your rides aren’t GPS mapped be a friend to others and upload your tracklogs and any additional info you want to give about the routes into OpenStreetMaps…..would help you too on future ride maps and you may even find other mappers in the area!!!

Emily….enjoy the Teton area, beautiful country and huckleberry anything ftw!! :)…and tell DH that the motorcyclist would probably have shot you too as a witness.:eek::eek::eek:

Just a pleasant ride down the beach bike path to lunch with friends in Manhattan Beach and then the Playa Vista farmers market on the way home for us…. 23 miles and o’henry peaches, greens, heirloom tomatoes, veggies, olive bread and cheese to have for the longer weekend.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily….enjoy the Teton area, beautiful country and huckleberry anything ftw!! :)…and tell DH that the motorcyclist would probably have shot you too as a witness.:eek::eek::eek:

Just a pleasant ride down the beach bike path to lunch with friends in Manhattan Beach and then the Playa Vista farmers market on the way home for us…. 23 miles and o’henry peaches, greens, heirloom tomatoes, veggies, olive bread and cheese to have for the longer weekend.

Sounds like a perfect ride and haul (well, except for the olive bread, me no likie olives, but DH loves 'em). And you're right about the motorcyclist! Thank goodness we were right in town. If we'd been in the boonies, we might really have had to worry.

Agreed on the huckleberry...nom nom! Had never had it til we got to this part of the country.

[north woods gal]

Thanks to all on recommending the GPS. Given my love of exploring out of the way places, not to mention my really bad sense of direction, I really do need togged a GPS for the bike. Made a huge difference in my peace of mind when I bought one for the car.

Thought I would share some pics of the gravel roads I ride. Illustrates how gravel road biking is so varied and even downright unpredictable. That, of course, is the attraction for me. All it takes is a change in the weather, a change in traffic, when and how often the road is maintained and how it is maintained and you find yourself having to ride the same road, differently, than you rode it the day before. Cool.

For instance, here's what I was riding, today, 12 miles worth plus another 20 on pavement to get there and back. Very good quality, all hard pack and well-maintained because there are scattered homes along the roads in this area and the county keeps up the roads. Pebble sized gravel, though, so not real comfy to ride, but predictable and safe and, of course, lovely. With the right bike, keeping a 10-14 mph pace is easy to do.
http://i67.tinypic.com/ors275.jpg

Here's what you get when there are no homes along a road, so little maintenance, but still open to traffic and ATVs. Even on a fat bike, I sometimes have trouble, often taking to the woods on the side to bypass these areas. Just getting through without having to walk is an accomplishment.
http://i68.tinypic.com/2iqe7nr.jpg

or
http://i65.tinypic.com/jkx189.jpg

For a walk on the wild side, these are the gated timber roads closed to vehicle traffic that I rode, earlier this week. So remote that they get maintenance maybe every few years. Actually pretty decent to ride, but you never know what you will encounter. 9 miles before you see a house, sign or so much as a human footprint. Very much on your own to get back out.
http://i68.tinypic.com/2z5qk21.jpg

Sometimes, you even wonder if there is a road.
http://i66.tinypic.com/ali3ok.jpg

And sometimes you do have to get creative
http://i64.tinypic.com/szak39.jpg

Still, compared to typical single track in our area, ANY road is a luxury. (Leave your road bike, at home.)
http://i67.tinypic.com/wwlt78.jpg

Breaking out to pavement after a long gravel workout is truly heavenly.
http://i65.tinypic.com/rrjpqt.jpg

Thanks for riding with me on this little tour of my gravel roads. :)

[emily_in_nc]

Thanks for sharing, NWG! I kinda know what you experience based on our several gravel rides during our trip from south to north this summer. We rode some that looked just like your first photo, and a couple like your second, but none quite as bad as some of your later photos, other than one forest road that turned into an overgrown trail, so eventually we had to turn around and ride the five miles back out.

I am totally with you on the emergence to pavement -- it feels like a dream after riding the bumps!

[Crankin]

Looks like fun! I've ridden my road bike on roads like your first picture, but I don't like it, and definitely need another bike, so I can feel more confident and ride some roads like picture #2.
Part of the dirt road we hiked on yesterday looks like #2 and #3. Quite a few years ago, I was on a group ride where they were going to take it as a short cut. I had never been there, and although the first part of the road is fine for a road bike, I had a bad feeling. I left the group and rode back to the start...

[north woods gal]

Thanks, all.

You can comfortably ride a standard 700x25 road bike on a well maintained gravel road as in the first pic- have done it on this road - but the gravel needs to be firm and evenly spread to ride with confidence. Even then, you need to be constantly on the alert, because, as I said, conditions on gravel roads can change by the day. My 700x35 Salsa Warbird, though, just screams down that road, but, then, the Warbird is actually a gravel specific road bike designed for hard pack.

When things turn soft and loose, I've found that there is a direct relationship between tire width and performance in the soft stuff. On the second and third pic, my 2" 26er and 2.2" 29er were not good. Did a lot of walking. My 3" 29er plus was much better and the 4.8" fat bike, best of all. Also found that rear suspension helps. Gets better traction in the soft stuff than a hardtail MTB, but not enough to make up the difference with going wider on the tires.

Should also mention that the experience factor helps, here. Lots of technique involved riding these roads that you don't use on pavement. If you are a die-hard pavement rider, take your time. Practicing on a variety of these roads really helps.

Given that I have to ride some miles on pavement to get to these areas, my 3" 29er is my best compromise. Actually pleasant, though not super fast, on pavement. Probably the perfect bike for remote road riding (but too stiff and bumpy on tough single track, since no suspension). The fat bike is agonizingly slow and cumbersome on pavement. :)

3" Trek Stashe (That's bear spray in the bottle cage.)
http://i67.tinypic.com/2v145et.jpg

[wnyrider]

Your handlebar bag looks like it could be a Revelate Design one, but I don't see it on their site. Could you tell me what bag is that? I have an Ortlieb bag which is very nice, but I'd have to remove the stem with the handlebar to pack the bike for traveling. How does your bag connect?

[Crankin]

Yeah, I know that kind of riding takes practice, of which I am loathe to do. That's why I stopped mountain biking. I don't naturally have the skills, I have a high fear factor, and I always had the nagging feeling I was missing out on road miles. I have less of a fear factor, 10 years later, but I am still debating what kind of bike to get for the third bike. It will have to meet a lot of criteria for uses, but mostly, I am interested in gravel/dirt road riding and not traditional mountain biking.
We didn't plan anything today, as we thought it would be raining from the hurricane. However, it's sunny, so we went out around 11:30 for a short ride around town. The wind started picking up considerably as we got near home and now, I would not want to be out there. We are not going to get the rain we need desperately, but at least it will hold off until later, into tomorrow.

[north woods gal]

wnyrider, that's a Banjo Brothers (http://banjobrothers.com) bag. They're a small outfit out of Minneapolis. Very good bags at very affordable prices. Just happened to notice them at a local bike shop, this summer, and thought I would give one a try. Liked it so much went back and bought another. Amazing bag for just $30.

Cranking, any MTB will do well on normal gravel roads as in the first pic. It's only when you try the really abused, neglected or remote gravel roads as in some of the other pics that you need to get more bike specific. Don't think you'd like those nasty gravel/sand roads, anyway, since you'll have to deal with the same fear factor. Like you, I'm cautious by nature and it took a lot of practice, not to mention psyching myself up, to get where I'm comfortable with the rough roads.

Since I'm also a road biker like you, I would strongly suggest a 700x35 or 700x40 class road bike if you don't already have one. Definitely gravel worthy as long as the gravel or dirt is at least somewhat hard packed. A 700x35, though, is also very useful on pavement. Handles rough pavement better than a standard 700x25, carries a load better and does better in rain. I've even used a 700x35 with studded tires in the snow. As long as the snow is only a couple of inches deep, actually works good. Makes for a great commuting bike. Have even used it on firm, smooth single track. To be honest, I ride my 700x35 Salsa Warbird much more on pavement than my 700x25 Domane, mostly because I have more options as to what roads I ride and was weather I might encounter.

The Warbird is advertised as a gravel road, road bike and most other brands have versions, too. They have a more comfortable geometry than cyclocross bikes, but they still give you great speed. My average speed on the Warbird is the same as with the Domane. Don't confuse these with hybrids for casual riding. These are serious road bikes.

My Salsa Warbird
http://i68.tinypic.com/iz8ajq.jpg

[Crankin]

Well, I am not giving up my 700X25 Silque an time soon! It's the most awesome bike I've had. I also have 700X25s on my Guru, which used to be more of a workhorse bike for me, when my other bike had 23s. It has one lower gear and a rack, but not really better on the dirt. I've ridden the Guru only 3 times this season, as I tend to bring my clothes to work on the days I drive, and just carry a little sack pack and ride the Trek. The Guru feels smooth as only titanium can, once riding, but there is something about the geometry that that feels awkward when I start off. This was a totally custom bike and I feel terrible it's never ridden, but maybe in the fall, I will ride it more. My choice is going to be between a cross/dedicated gravel type bike, of which there are hardly any that will fit me and a mountain bike. I had a really nice full suspension Norco mountain bike, but it was certainly too big for me, at 15 inches. I really need a 13 inches. There are still 26" WSD mountain bikes that come in extra small, but I am not going to spend what I spent before. Well, I have time to dream.

[Sky King]

Kicked off the month with a fun 3 day trip. We had a loose plan to reach an area in the Jarbidge Desert called the Arch. We picked our route thinking it was feasible as long as the "roads" that show on the map were there... HA. Missed a major turn on day one (hate to confess it was probably my fault as I was in front as we climbed out of the Bruneau Canyon) Actually in hindsight it was not a bad thing as we would have been even more challenged with finding water. Saturday night found us camped by Dead Horse Spring. Not much water but it wasn't covered in scum, nor was it muddy. We double filtered and crossed our fingers. Some Antelope came down in the morning to drink and they all seemed healthy . Continuing off course, Sunday we found an intersection with an actual sign. We could see a few trees and bushes so we rode to that area and hiked in, hoping for water in the creek - no such luck. We opted to backtrack about a mile to an old, fallen down ranch outpost. This time there really was a dead horse in the corral - Yikes. There was water pooled in the stream bed so again we double filtered and crossed our fingers. Glad we stopped because that was the last water we saw until we recrossed the river on Monday. Late Sunday afternoon found us battling tumbleweeds and in wander/wonder mode - as in where the heck are we anyway! Off in the distance I see 3 ATV's, usually I cringe at the sight but the desert spirits were looking out for us as the ATV's were on the "road" we needed to get back to the truck without having to retrace our steps. We have decided to invest in spot tracker, this part of the desert is so remote it would be a challenge for someone to find us if something went wrong. Happy to say my Surly ECR performed the best. I have gotten really comfortable with the handling and trusting the bike on descents. The Bike Hermit did a blog post on our website (http://biketouringnews.com/our-trips/diamond-a-desert-by-bicycle/) Here are a couple photos 1814818149

[Crankin]

Geez, Sky King, I would have been freaking out.
Didn't do the group ride today, as it was raining at the time I had to leave (it was along the coast on the north shore, about anhour away), both at home and at the ride start, with mist and spot showers predicted for the rest of the day. The ride was not cancelled, but I doubt it would have been a good day to ride by the ocean. We've had so much sun and heat, I am enjoying the damp, cloudiness. I walked to the gym, did the power lifting class i missed on Labor Day, and walked home, a total of 3 miles. I may commute tomorrow, will definitely ride Friday. Saturday is the Ghost Bike Memorial service, so we are riding about 5 miles to a group meeting place, about a mile to the service, and then not sure what afterwards. Then we are driving out to Amherst, staying at our friends' and doing a 50 mile charity ride on Sunday.

[north woods gal]

Wow, Sky, me getting "turned around" back in the woods on our county land seems like small potatoes compared to your ride in the desert. Still, it has convinced me that I should be using a GPS, riding solo like I do. Didn't even know there was such a thing as a Spot Tracker, but sounds like a great idea for me, too.

Would love to send some rain to anyone who needs some. Had 3" in a few hours, yesterday, and much of my MTB trails look more like a lake. :)

[ny biker]

Kicked off the month with a fun 3 day trip. We had a loose plan to reach an area in the Jarbidge Desert called the Arch. We picked our route thinking it was feasible as long as the "roads" that show on the map were there... HA. Missed a major turn on day one (hate to confess it was probably my fault as I was in front as we climbed out of the Bruneau Canyon) Actually in hindsight it was not a bad thing as we would have been even more challenged with finding water. Saturday night found us camped by Dead Horse Spring. Not much water but it wasn't covered in scum, nor was it muddy. We double filtered and crossed our fingers. Some Antelope came down in the morning to drink and they all seemed healthy . Continuing off course, Sunday we found an intersection with an actual sign. We could see a few trees and bushes so we rode to that area and hiked in, hoping for water in the creek - no such luck. We opted to backtrack about a mile to an old, fallen down ranch outpost. This time there really was a dead horse in the corral - Yikes. There was water pooled in the stream bed so again we double filtered and crossed our fingers. Glad we stopped because that was the last water we saw until we recrossed the river on Monday. Late Sunday afternoon found us battling tumbleweeds and in wander/wonder mode - as in where the heck are we anyway! Off in the distance I see 3 ATV's, usually I cringe at the sight but the desert spirits were looking out for us as the ATV's were on the "road" we needed to get back to the truck without having to retrace our steps. We have decided to invest in spot tracker, this part of the desert is so remote it would be a challenge for someone to find us if something went wrong. Happy to say my Surly ECR performed the best. I have gotten really comfortable with the handling and trusting the bike on descents. The Bike Hermit did a blog post on our website (http://biketouringnews.com/our-trips/diamond-a-desert-by-bicycle/) Here are a couple photos 1814818149

I have been to the town of Jarbidge, which had a year-round population of 11 at the time, and I doubt it has grown in the past few years. A group of us drove there from Elko in two vehicles, one of which kept breaking down. The map tells me you were north of there, but I imagine it's all pretty similar. I'm glad you made it out safely! It is worlds away from the crowded cities and suburbs that many of us are used to.

[Aromig]

We have decided to invest in spot tracker, this part of the desert is so remote it would be a challenge for someone to find us if something went wrong. Happy to say my Surly ECR performed the best.

I own a spot that I use when hiking/hanging out around Moab, and I will take it on long bike rides in Southern Indiana where cell phone reception might be spotty. I've owned mine for 4 years now, and never needed it but it is reassuring to look at the blinking lights knowing its transmitting somewhere when I send a message (mine you can only send a preprogrammed message, but I do that to save GPS coordinates).

I've had one friend (not bikers) use theirs for rescue when they got lost and had no water and then it's worth every single penny. I also pay for the optional (its not very expensive) insurance where they'll pay for the charge of emergency services if you're billed for them.

The device and the annual service is totally worth the peace of mind.

North Woods Gal - I think they have new spot devices that may communicate with your phone, I'm not sure, but I have an older device that doesn't help me get home, but can signal that I need help and can send signals to family about where I'm located. I also use my Garmin Edge 800 and it's helped me find my way home when I've taken a wrong turn, but I didn't quite need to call for help yet :-)

[north woods gal]

Thanks' girls.

Speaking of GPS units, what is everyone using? I'm not digitally challenged, but I don't want anything complicated and loaded with options I won't use. Just need something to track my movements, save way points and so on. Just hate that "I'm lost" feeling. Very rewarding when I come out on the good end of things, but really takes away from enjoying my ride. Thanks.

[Blueberry]

The Wahoo Elemnt (http://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/elemnt) was recommended to me recently. Curious to hear what others have to say!

[Crankin]

I finally rode today, but a number of things conspired to make me wait until after lunch, when it was 88 degrees and humid. I am happy with the 12 miles I did, but it made me realize how much I hate the heat, and humidity even more. The most exciting thing that happened is that they are filming a movie on the trail DH and I hike on, about a mile from my house, and we saw all of the signs, pointing the crew down the dirt road to get there.

[ny biker]

I rode almost 20 miles after work last night. Was hoping to ride Wednesday but we had thunderstorms so I had to postpone to Thursday. It was hot, I was dripping sweat at the end, but I'll take a September heat wave over winter cold any day.

Last Saturday I did 41 miles in Virginia, in a rural area around Warrenton. It was a nice route, some roads I'd ridden before and some that were new to me. The ride leader says he likes to do variations of it in the winter, so I'll keep an eye out from them. Afterwards we had lunch near the ride start. There's a cluster of buildings on land that was purchased by federal government back around WWII and used by cryptographers (or something like that), and now they're a brew pub, small cafe, produce market and museum about the Cold War. We got food from the cafe and brought it to the brew pub for a nice post-ride lunch.

Then on Monday our bike club had our annual century ride. I helped at a couple of rest stops, taking leftovers from one that closed early to another one that was open later, then driving to a third stop to help out until it closed, then driving back to the ride start by way of the final rest stop while picking up route-marking signs along the way. It was a long day but perfect weather and lots of fun. We did run out of food at one rest stop, and at the post-ride picnic were already talking about how to keep that from happening in the future. The ride is in an area that is not close to any grocery stores so it's not easy to get things on the fly when you start to run out.

Tomorrow is one of my favorite rides of the year, the Civil War Century. I'm doing the metric as usual. I'll be riding with someone from work and will be on the lookout for some bike club friends who will be doing a longer route. The food is always great at this ride, fresh fruit from local orchards and ice cream from a local dairy. I'm looking forward to it.

[Crankin]

I am getting a bit nervous about going to the ghost bike memorial service tomorrow. I did not know the man that was killed, but feel compelled to join the huge group of cyclists that are attending. This accident occured just about 5 miles from where I live. Glad I will be surrounded by people I know.

[north woods gal]

Crankin, by all means go if you feel you should. Can't imagine there would be any problems with that many people. No guarantee, of course, but seems unlikely.

As for me, doing 4 or 5 hours of heavy physical labor on the trails around our house and then finish the day with about hour of riding on them. That usually nets me about a humble 5 miles, but I'd estimate about 70% as being up and down with a fair number of steeps and humps that require me to stand on the pedals to crest, plus the trail is rough enough to require standing on the pedals to absorb the shock or risk having my teeth shake loose. Lots of quick braking and hard accelerating. The see saw ride, tight turns, tricky spots and hills take their toll. Very physical type of riding. Has me wheezing and panting for air when I push hard. Very few catch my breath kind of spots along the way. In other words, typical mountain biking for our area.

Hope to work up to two hour workouts when I'm done with the trail work. Lots of work for sure, but the trails will be doing double duty for my cross country skiing in winter.

[emily_in_nc]

Yesterday we had the pleasure of riding the historic Union Pacific rail-trail in Utah. We started in Coalville, where we were staying in an RV park, rode north to Park City, rode around the city, had ice cream, and rode back. The trail is mostly gravel, so we took our mountain bikes. The last three miles into Park City are paved. The trail is a very gradual climb into Park City, and PC itself is hilly. The great thing is that once you're there, you know you have mostly downhill on the way back. We did have to contend with northwest winds over 20 mph sustained, and at times they were in our face or even at our sides and tough, but on the way back, we flew through a long ENE section, downhill, which was most enjoyable!

The day was absolutely gorgeous, sunny and 50s through 70s. Low humidity, of course, and even some gorgeous early fall foliage. Hardly anyone else on the trail on a weekday. 47 miles total.

18150 18151 18152

[BikeDutchess]

Wonderful photos of your ride, Emily! That is a nice trail, especially starting & ending in Coalville to catch the downhill coming back. It's so nice to see all the signs of fall.

[Crankin]

Looks beautiful, Emily. Another place I haven't seen.
North Woods, I am not nervous about going to the service because of anything to do with the people or the fact there will be tons of cyclists. I am just worried I will be too emotional. We have a hilly ride in Amherst, MA area tomorrow, so right now I am trying to decide if we should just ride home after the ceremony, or ride into town for Ag Day/farmer's market, or over to our former town, where they are also having an ag fair we never got to during the years we lived there. I don't want to do too much, as it's hilly where we will be riding tomorrow, and I have never ridden in that area, so there's a bit of unknown nervousness, along with weather forecast that is kind of iffy. But, it's a charity ride, we paid for it, so we are going, even if it rains.

[north woods gal]

Cranking', I do understand. I'm widely known for breaking down at such events, myself. Have had people tell me I could make a good living as a professional cryer at funerals. Oh, yeah, I do understand.

Emily, our family once had a reunion in Park City and I was very impressed with the bicycling in the area. Didn't get a chance to actually do any riding, but would love to return to the area and give it a try. My only issue would be needing a day or two to adapt to the elevation. We flew into Salt Lake and drove up from there. Only at 1500 feet, here, so noticed the change, right away. With you working your way west, I imagine you've acclimated as you go.

[north woods gal]

Back, here, at home, another inch of rain, last night on top of the four inches we've had this last week and all of that on top of an unusually wet summer. Some of my homemade trails around the house are way too wet and mushy to ride, some even under water. Thank heavens for the fat bike. On the trails that I can ride, those huge tires make all the difference. Standard 2" or 2.2" tires dig way too deep into the mushy stuff. I can understand why some locals in the area use fat bikes for all their mountain biking, all year long.

[Crankin]

We barely made it to the meeting place to go to the ghost bike service... not like us at all, but about 12 of us left from a guys's house, about a mile from the spot. It was lovely and moving, and while sad, I didn't really cry. I felt like it a few times, but I come from a religious tradition which doesn't really have the hysterical crying at funerals, so not a problem. There were probably 200 people there! There were 3 ministers, 2 from the man's church, and one woman who is involved in cycling advocacy and rides, and is a minister. They changed some traditional prayers to a cycling theme, and gave examples that were relevant to the situation, from gospel, which was interesting to me, as I know nothing about the New Testament. At the end, they sang Amazing Grace and gave out white roses to leave by the ghost bike. I think i read it's only going to be up for awhile, but it was nice, and the police were friendly to us and did a good job blocking the road and redirecting traffic that was surprised, as this was on a main road.
The hardest thing for me was to see the man's son, a young marine, in full dress uniform, who reminded me of my son. He was in boot camp when it happened, and couldn't come home, so this is why the service was today. I hope i never go to one of these again.
We decided to ride home the long way, and actually got in a 17 mile ride, enough before the charity ride tomorrow, which has been changed, and is now closer in miles to a metric, than 50.

[rebeccaC]

beautiful riding area Emily, thanks for taking us there!!!

After a night of being social we had a short slow wake-up ride on one of our favorite roads before breakfast…just 12 miles but such a good way to start the day. Now I have work research and writing to do the rest of the day :(
https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8730/29508860711_57f26369d9_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LXACdx)

[north woods gal]

Makes me warm and cozy to see those pics, rebecca. Already having to wear a coat and leggings to ride, now, and it's going to only get colder and colder, up here in the north woods of Wisconsin. Been a great summer riding season for me, though.

[ny biker]

Makes me warm and cozy to see those pics, rebecca. Already having to wear a coat and leggings to ride, now, and it's going to only get colder and colder, up here in the north woods of Wisconsin. Been a great summer riding season for me, though.

Yikes. We've been having a September heat wave. Usually when I ride on such a hot day I take breaks in the shade while everyone else rides without stopping. Today many people stopped to cool down during the last 10 miles whenever we found a tree. Many ran out of water, but the ride organizers did a good job of sending SAG drivers out to hand out cold bottles of water.

Most of the ride was great. Lots of friendly people, beautiful scenery and amazing locally grown fruit at the rest stops. I passed a farm with lots of ducks and turkeys. Also passed a field covered with large spider webs that glistened with dew. And the views of the Catoctin Mountains are like visual prozac, beautiful and calming.

My cell phone camera does not do it justice. One photo shows the view from the Gettysburg battlefield. The others show a neat historical marker I found while doing some exploring off the official route.

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Here are some photos from the same area, taken last fall.

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[ny biker]

beautiful riding area Emily, thanks for taking us there!!!

After a night of being social we had a short slow wake-up ride on one of our favorite roads before breakfast…just 12 miles but such a good way to start the day. Now I have work research and writing to do the rest of the day :(
https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8730/29508860711_57f26369d9_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LXACdx)


I love photos of roads like this. They're so inviting...

[Crankin]

Well, we had an adventure today, and it was not the metric we planned.
Had a great dinner in Amherst last night, and then went right to bed. Got up at 5:30 to DH and our friend saying the weather looked horrible. So, at 7:30 we went out to do a 25 mile ride, before it hit... we didn't even attempt the charity ride.
Had a lovely time traveling the roads of the "Happy Valley," including one difficult climb. When we were 6 miles from his house, the skies opened, thunder and wind. Bad. DH and I had our rain jackets and helmet covers, but our friend did not. After almost getting blown off of the road, we made it to Belchertown center, where we hid out under the overhang of the town hall for about an hour +. After hypothermia almost setting in, we thankfully had a 3 mile slog up Rt 202 back to the house.
It was fun, but I am glad we did not do the metric. Heading out to lunch and then home.

[rebeccaC]

NWG….There’s something about having a home in a place that's usually like an endless mild summer that I like :)…and being close enough to area’s where I can experience the seasons when wanted. Enjoy your fall rides through woods that look like stained-glass windows!!!!!

Thanks NY…. Your photos remind me of friends who do long rural rides going north out of D.C. Beautiful country. Even with the heat I'm glad your ride gave you some “beautiful and calming” feelings!!!!!

[emily_in_nc]

Wonderful photos of your ride, Emily! That is a nice trail, especially starting & ending in Coalville to catch the downhill coming back. It's so nice to see all the signs of fall.

Thanks BD! Where in Utah are you? We are in Dinosaur Nat'l Monument now. More excellent cycling!

[emily_in_nc]

Cranking', I do understand. I'm widely known for breaking down at such events, myself. Have had people tell me I could make a good living as a professional cryer at funerals. Oh, yeah, I do understand.

Emily, our family once had a reunion in Park City and I was very impressed with the bicycling in the area. Didn't get a chance to actually do any riding, but would love to return to the area and give it a try. My only issue would be needing a day or two to adapt to the elevation. We flew into Salt Lake and drove up from there. Only at 1500 feet, here, so noticed the change, right away. With you working your way west, I imagine you've acclimated as you go.

Yes, after riding in Yellowstone, it's been all downhill from there (elevation-wise!)

[BikeDutchess]

Thanks BD! Where in Utah are you? We are in Dinosaur Nat'l Monument now. More excellent cycling!

I'm in SLC. The weather is just perfect right now - glad you're having fun!

[emily_in_nc]

Yesterday we did a beautiful ride in and outside of Dinosaur National Monument. We are in the Utah section, near Jensen. The climb out of the campground (Green River, by the river!) is steep and arduous, but once you get up higher, it's not so bad. Here are a few shots.

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Ended up with around 32 miles. Today was a hike, and tomorrow will be more cycling. :)

[Crankin]

My rides have not been as exciting as some of yours, although Sunday's thunderstorm was exciting in a not good way!
Today, I rode exactly 20 miles, just some of my favorite local roads in my old town, and back along Rt. 117, which while busy, is flat. DH pushed the pace and I ended up with an average over 15. This is good for me, these days.

[north woods gal]

15 would be good for me any day. :)

Working frantically to get all my trail work done before freeze up, but take time at the end of each day to ride on my homemade trails. Work of love, though, and some of these trails will make terrific cross country ski trails.

[Sky King]

Emily that looks wonderful. I am giddy as we are doing a backroads S24O this weekend to Atlanta, Id. - Hot Springs soak is on the list.

[emily_in_nc]

That sounds great, Sky King. Do enjoy!

I don't think I ever posted about our last ride in Dinosaur NM. It was actually a full day of bike-hike-bike-hike-bike. We took our mountain bikes since we knew part of the way was on an unpaved road. We rode down to Josie's cabin at the end of the road, a truly fascinating look back at a homesteader's environment. On the way we stopped to see some amazing petroglyphs. At Josie's Cabin, we parked the bikes and took a short hike into Box Canyon before heading back down the unpaved, then paved road to the visitor's center. There, we again locked the bikes and took a hike on the Fossil Discovery Trail up to the Dinosaur Quarry, where we were astonished to see and touch actual dinosaur bones. SO AMAZING!

Finally, we pedaled back to the campground. I think the ride was only about 22 miles (but on knobby tires felt a lot longer), and the hiking around 3.5 miles total, but we were totally spent. An awesome last day!

If you ever get a chance to go to Dinosaur National Monument, near Jensen, Utah, DO IT. There are other parts of the park in Colorado as well, but we only explored the Utah portion. That's the only part of the park where you can see dinosaur bones, btw. And the cycling is great!

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[north woods gal]

Emily, you are an inspiration for me to get back out west for a visit. I really don't know of anyone that has biked so many spots out there. You could write a book on it. Hmmm?

As for me, 31 miles, today, on the Salsa Warbird 700x35 gravel road bike. 12 miles were gravel and that was the destination. All the paved miles were getting there and back, though riding pavement with this bike is equally satisfying. The gravel was in excellent shape, thanks to recent wet weather, so actually had to work to find spots where I could have a little fun fishtailing and chugging though soft stuff. Guess that makes me a hard core gravel rider. Too easy, so did 4 more miles on my homegrown mountain bike trails on our property when I got home. What's happening to the cautious road bike girl that used to be me? :)

Heading to Florida for a week for a conference in St. Pete that my husband will attend. Not looking forward to it. Too many darn people for a country girl like me. Not my kind of place at all. Might as well be a different planet. My stress levels are way up there. Might survive if I can find a bike shop and rent a bike, though.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, you are an inspiration for me to get back out west for a visit. I really don't know of anyone that has biked so many spots out there. You could write a book on it. Hmmm?

Absolutely no interest. Just writing a blog is enough for me -- I can hardly keep up as it is! But thank you; we have been very fortunate to travel to so many different spots and ride in so many gorgeous places!

Your ride sounds great -- you are an animal! After 31 miles, I am quite sure I would have been happy to put up my feet and rest, but not you...tough singletrack! :eek:

I have to admit that I love Florida. Not the crazy busy spots, but there are plenty of less developed places that are still beautiful. We spent last winter in Winter Garden and enjoyed the paved bike paths there. We rode as often as we could. We will do the same this year. There are actually some decent hills in Lake County -- I had no idea. The path goes out into less developed areas and is very pretty. On weekdays, there are only a few other retired old farts like us riding, so it doesn't feel like busy, hectic Florida at all.

I think the key to Florida is not to drive. :D Once our motorhome is parked and all we do is bike and walk, we can enjoy it almost as much as any other place. Good luck surviving your time there!

[wnyrider]

[QUOTE=north woods gal;714262]wnyrider, that's a Banjo Brothers (http://banjobrothers.com) bag. They're a small outfit out of Minneapolis. Very good bags at very affordable prices. Just happened to notice them at a local bike shop, this summer, and thought I would give one a try. Liked it so much went back and bought another. Amazing bag for just $30.QUOTE]

Late thanks for reply!

[Crankin]

I swear I posted this earlier, but obviously, no I didn't.
We had a busy weekend, and i am now recovering. Cycling was a good part of it. Late Friday afternoon our friends came in from Amherst and off we went for our first night of theatre and dinner in Bston, this season. A brilliant late summer New England day, we walked about 1.5 miles to a Mexican restaurant, tucked away in an alley. It's not new and was outstanding and authentic. After eating outside, we hiked back to the theatre, amid people mostly looking 30 years younger than me! The play was "interesting," but we had an early wake up call. Our friends spent the night and we were up at 6:30 to eat and then head out for a ride in Little Compton and Tiverton, RI/Westport, MA This is a less traveled part of both states, often called the farm coast. DH and I were leading with another guy. We had a beautiful day. Of course, the usual characters, including 2 women who came on the ride, but didn't want to be on the ride, as they were slower than most. They were a bit rude to DH at the beginning when one made a left from the right side of the road (they told him they don't need his instructions), but after losing people (we were sweeping) who did not read the leaders' email and downloaded or printed an old route, we were all mellowed out by lunch. DH and the other leader switched positions and I was sweeping DH's faster group, of which I could barely keep up with. But, the end of this ride is a 2 mile false flat, and it did go by quickly, as did the climbing near the end. 42 miles of fun.
Then, the 4 of us changed in the car, while the others went off to eat at a seafood place, we went to a winery, where we drank a bottle of wine and had appetizers, outside. Perfect. We then hurried off to our luxurious Hampton Inn (there aren't many good options to stay around here), change, shower and head to dinner at one the most fabulous places I've been to recently. We came back this morning and i am wiped. Fast riding, good food and wine, great weather. One day of work, then off to CA to see grandchild #2 (who cares about her parents...)

[Sky King]

As expected, our ride to Atlanta Idaho was beautiful. Overall we rode 100 miles - all on dirt roads- still tired :)~. Some of it was really wash boarded so sure glad I took the ECR with the 3" wide tires. We drove to a campground Friday night - full moon and the young people in the site next to us stayed up ALL NIGHT - OMG, we were all bleary eyed Sat. am. Atlanta has 1 bar/cafe and they serve Burgers - period. Even our mostly vegetarian buddy decided a burger and a brew was easier than firing up the alcohol stove (we can be so lazy) Plus the bar has Stone IPA - a great beer. Camp was about 2 miles from town but ended up being free and the hot springs were exactly what my tired body needed. We did have unexpected rain but was during the night. Continuing with our effort to support the local economy, the cafe/bar agreed to open and serve us breakfast - pretty nice folks in this small mining town. As the road follows the middle fork of the Boise river it is mostly a gradual climb to Atlanta and thus a lovely return trip on Sunday. The DH decided he was in the mood to pedal so he made it to Twin Springs (a developed hot springs spot) well ahead of most of us but we were all fine doing our own Private Idaho ride. Fall colors and the quiet more than made up for the noisy Friday night. 18177

[north woods gal]

Emily, by coincidence I find myself in Lake County, Florida, since my hubby has cousins, here.

Two days without riding to get here was driving me nuts, so found rental place at the beginning of a paved R-T, the West Orange Bike Trail and off I went in the 90 degree plus heat and humidity. WAY underestimated what I was up against. The trail was a breeze, but by the time I hit mile 12, the heat and humidity had me bonking.

Really a triple whammy. Had been eating light because of the heat and, as result, could feel the signs oh low blood sugar setting in. Being diabetic, l know how dangerous this could be. Also could feel dehydration setting in to the danger level. Had already finished the single bottle of water I had brought. Lastly, new area, so my allergies were going nuts. Honestly as close to crashing and shutting down on the trail as I've been in my life. VERY dangerous. Was all I could do not to pass out.

Thank the goddess that I managed to limp back three miles to another bike station. Guzzled down three quarts of water and gobbled down two candy bars, then waited half hour for my system to recover.

Back to normal, now, and made good time the last 9 miles to the trail head.

For sure, will do more biking while down, here - lovely country - but lesson learned.

[rebeccaC]

Doing an organized International Peace Day ride today that ends at the beach sunset and a concert in Santa Monica. For us only 3 miles of the 10 mile ride but a good 3 miles of being with kindred spirits.

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other." - Mother Teresa

[ny biker]

Emily, by coincidence I find myself in Lake County, Florida, since my hubby has cousins, here.

Two days without riding to get here was driving me nuts, so found rental place at the beginning of a paved R-T, the West Orange Bike Trail and off I went in the 90 degree plus heat and humidity. WAY underestimated what I was up against. The trail was a breeze, but by the time I hit mile 12, the heat and humidity had me bonking.

Really a triple whammy. Had been eating light because of the heat and, as result, could feel the signs oh low blood sugar setting in. Being diabetic, l know how dangerous this could be. Also could feel dehydration setting in to the danger level. Had already finished the single bottle of water I had brought. Lastly, new area, so my allergies were going nuts. Honestly as close to crashing and shutting down on the trail as I've been in my life. VERY dangerous. Was all I could do not to pass out.

Thank the goddess that I managed to limp back three miles to another bike station. Guzzled down three quarts of water and gobbled down two candy bars, then waited half hour for my system to recover.

Back to normal, now, and made good time the last 9 miles to the trail head.

For sure, will do more biking while down, here - lovely country - but lesson learned.

I'm glad it ended well -- too bad it was such an uncomfortable lesson!


Enjoy the ride and concert, Rebecca, it sounds lovely.

[Crankin]

Glad it turned out OK, Northwoods. I think we all learn lessons like this at least once!
I am in CA, no riding for me. Going to be posting in the hiking thread.

[azfiddle]

So many interesting rides and stories this month.
I've been riding but have been pretty busy and distracted with work, so I haven't been on the forum lately.

I've done way more bike commuting this month than I ever did in the past. I'm averaging at least 3 times a week. The weather has been reasonable- that is to say pleasant in the morning and not too hot in the afternoons. So a lot of my miles have been from the commute, which is currently 19 miles round trip. When they finished a three mile section of path that cuts through the desert between Davis Monthan AFB and the mountain bike park, Fantasy Island, it made the commute a bit shorter (previously 22 miles round trip) and meant that about 80% of the commute has no cars to worry about. Also, since it includes 2 1/2 miles along a dry river bed, a half mile of little mini-ranches and three miles of open desert, it's interesting watching for birds along the route. I'm up to about 58 species seen while commuting over the last 5 years.

I've gotten inspired to work on "birding by bike" and got a new pair of Zeiss Terra Ed 10x25 binoculars to carry in my jersey pocket. So some of my rides have been focused on adding to my "birding by bike" list.

Aside from that, I've been getting ready for a short bike tour with my son this weekend, so I've been ride the Surly a bit more. I am hoping that sticking with the Brooks saddle is not a mistake. Sit bones are okay but sometimes I have pressure in the front of the saddle. I've been literally pounding it with rock or hammer to try to reshape it! There are a few compromises with riding the Surly because of my height and short torso and it's so heavy compared to the Ruby that I call it the tank. Anyway- I am almost packed. We are driving to Williams, AZ, then riding to the Grand Canyon, staying two days and riding back. My husband put in for the days off to go too but they weren't approved. :(

I'll post pictures and a report when we get back.

[ny biker]

That's a pretty long commute, AZ, but it sounds like a nice ride! Reminds me of a friend who's retired now but says that she didn't used to commute by bike -- she did a bike ride every morning that ended at her job. Have fun on your trip!

I did my hill ride last night, about 17 miles. I was out of town last weekend so it was my first ride in 8 days. To be honest, I am tired of slowly struggling up the steep hills and wish there was a flatter alternative that is safe after dark. So I thought about that while I rode, and I think the real problem is that it's harder to haul my butt up those hills with the 10 extra pounds that I have gained in the last year. And I am frustrated by that weight gain. I don't know if it's just the looming specter of menopause or if I need to have my thyroid checked, but it seems that one day of over-indulging -- like a piece of cake and a couple of pina coladas at a 90th birthday party -- leads to a 2-3 pound gain that won't go away regardless of how many days I don't overeat. And exercise or lack thereof seems to have no effect either. So yeah, frustrating. And if I don't figure out how to lose at least 5 of those pounds I will have to buy new clothes next summer in a larger size, because only two pairs of summer pants fit me right now.

Meanwhile I am thinking ahead to the weekend and the last few days of warm weather that we will enjoy this year. It will probably be my last bike ride of the year in a sleeveless jersey...

[Aromig]

[QUOTE=ny biker;714437]To be honest, I am tired of slowly struggling up the steep hills and wish there was a flatter alternative that is safe after dark. So I thought about that while I rode, and I think the real problem is that it's harder to haul my butt up those hills with the 10 extra pounds that I have gained in the last year. And I am frustrated by that weight gain. I don't know if it's just the looming specter of menopause or if I need to have my thyroid checked, but it seems that one day of over-indulging -- like a piece of cake and a couple of pina coladas at a 90th birthday party -- leads to a 2-3 pound gain that won't go away regardless of how many days I don't overeat. And exercise or lack thereof seems to have no effect either. So yeah, frustrating. And if I don't figure out how to lose at least 5 of those pounds I will have to buy new clothes next summer in a larger size, because only two pairs of summer pants fit me right now.

[QUOTE]

Right there with you. I used to be able to maintain weight by being moderate during the week, without worrying at all about what I ate on the weekends. Then it turned into just being able to freely eat/indulge on one weekend day. Now it seems that it takes months and months to lose only a few pounds, and one bad meal undoes it all. (FWIW, I'm 43, so it probably is looming menopause)

I tell myself that hauling this extra weight up hills is making me stronger. If I ever manage to lose the weight I'm going to be a rockstar with this new strength. But I am sad and don't want to give up my favorite jerseys which are just a tad too tight.

[north woods gal]

Az, another lifelong birder, here! Always adds to a ride and gives me a reason (and excuse) to ride a bit slower. :)

Now in St. Pete, Fl for a few days, so went looking for a bike to rent close to the resort. No one had a road bike, but I did find an old 8 speed cassette Giant MTB with grip shift to rent, instead of all the usual tourist bikes. That old warhorse and I have been getting along, fine, though. Lovely area. Found a nice state park a 5 mile ride from the resort and a coffee shop, so I'm happy. Only 15 miles, today, but pleased to report that this northern girl has been able to handle this Florida heat and humidity, now that I know what it takes to ride in it, safely.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, by coincidence I find myself in Lake County, Florida, since my hubby has cousins, here.

Wow, NWG, glad you were okay in the end! I can't believe it is still so stinkin' hot there. We were there last winter from early January to mid-March, and we had everything from chilly rides requiring tights and vests to tanktops and shorts, of course. The hills were what caught me by surprise. We'd been in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for the previous 6 months so had ridden nothing but dead flats. I expected the same in Florida but did not get it. The west Orange trail beat my azz for awhile until I got used to the hills!

And I couldn't get anyone to believe that there were hills in Florida! Wind, of course, but hills? No one buying it! Hope the rest of your time there was less eventful than this ride....

[emily_in_nc]

Have only managed two short rides since I last posted due to traveling, hiking, weather, etc, but they were both good ones!

1. Rode part of "Trail 1101" aka the Continental Divide Trail from our campground (Dumont Lake) high in Colorado. SO gorgeous and very challenging, as the part we rode climbed about 1000' starting from 9500' elevation, so the air was thin, and I was gasping on even the slightest climb. Parts were so steep and technical (by my standards, which are pretty dismal) that I walked both up and down, but the easier parts were SO. MUCH. FUN.

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2. Short road ride from our RV park near Grand Lake, CO at the border of the Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park down into Grand Lake (down down down), stopping to see elk along the way. Glorious aspens at peak color, beautiful lake, and a good climb back to the park from town.

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[north woods gal]

Beautiful country, Emily, so I could live with some walking and I'm sure I would have done some, too. :)

The Lake County section of Fl does, indeed, have some nice rollers, even a few good challenging hills. Geologically, it's a ridge that forms the spine of the state. Who knew?

Actually, I have found some hills in this very flat coastal section of Florida I'm visiting, now. Strangely enough, the bridges that cross all the canals and inland waterways are built in steep, tall arcs to let tall boats pass underneath. Some of these have given me a good workout, all the more with this heat and humidity. Heat indexes have been over 100, every day.

Not really my kind of place, but I do appreciate it's beauty and charm, but, then, that's the fun of seeing new places, as you well know.

[emily_in_nc]

Yes, in most parts of Florida and in many other coastal areas, the overpasses are the best hill work you'll get. ;-)

I am not a big fan of riding in intense heat or humidity either, tho' I've certainly done a lot of it over the years, living mostly in NC, so I totally get what you're saying, NWG.

We took out the road bikes yesterday and headed out from our campground in the Pawnee Nat'l Grassland in NE Colorado for a ride. We figured a county road would be lightly traveled, but unfortunately it is harvest season, and consequently there were many big rigs out on the road. No shoulder and a 65 mph speed limit made for less than optimum conditions. It was also quite windy, so every time a truck would pass in either direction, I'd have to stop pedaling and just try to stay upright.

We ended up cutting the ride a bit short because of this, and good thing, as this was an out-and-back, and when we turned around to come back, the wind had really kicked up, and we had a head wind all the way. My average speed went down 1.2 mph from the first half because of this, not that I care, but it does illustrate how windy it was. Ended up with 37 miles -- wanted 40, but just couldn't handle any more trucks or wind.

It was beautiful countryside, though, with lots of pronghorns, meadowlarks, etc. along the way. And my aging but still in good shape "Save the Grasslands" socks I ordered right here on TE during a half-price promotion years ago fit right in! :D

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[north woods gal]

Yeah, welcome to life in the great wide open. When living in Nebraska, we used to joke about the 4 or 5 days a year we would get with no wind and how it would scare everyone. Actually some truth to it, given that it would amaze people. :)

For bike riding, AWAYS a factor.

[ny biker]

I rode 62 miles yesterday in St Mary's County, Maryland. It was cloudy and humid but cool. At one point we did have a strong headwind near the river, but mostly the breeze wasn't bad. There were 6 of us. Some of the roads were new to me. One of our stops was at a plantation that dates back to 1702; I'd like to visit there again and see more of it. My legs felt tired on every hill but it was fun.

[emily_in_nc]

Yeah, welcome to life in the great wide open. When living in Nebraska, we used to joke about the 4 or 5 days a year we would get with no wind and how it would scare everyone. Actually some truth to it, given that it would amaze people. :)

LOL! Today we were on the road, driving from NE Colorado into Nebraska, and the local news here reported 32 mph gusts this afternoon. I believe it -- we were getting blown all over the road; rather disconcerting in a 32' motorhome, especially for DH, the driver! We were really glad to pull into the campground and get off the road at 2:30 pm.

No riding today.

[north woods gal]

Not making this up, Emily, but when we lived in western Nebraska for a time, we actually had to dodge tumbleweeds getting blown across the road on windy days. Those things can flat out move when the wind gets them rolling.

Back home, tonight, to our north woods. Highs in the 50s, tomorrow with showers. After a week of sun and the humid 90s in Florida, not sure how I will adapt. I was actually adapting to the Florida weather, getting better each day. Ended up with 100 miles over four days. No great tally on the miles, but enough to tell me I could live down, there, and still bike on a regular basis. Kind of a confidence builder for me. The only thing I missed was some gravel roads and single track. Almost all of the roads had bike lanes and all the bike trails were paved. Very nice, but maybe just a bit too civilized for a country gal like me. :)

P.S. Lots of great birds and even saw some dolphins. No alligators or snakes, though. (I'm okay with that.)

[emily_in_nc]

Good luck re-adapting to the chilly weather, NWG! We too have dodged a few tumbleweeds over the past few years while traveling in various spots! They're still kind of cool to me, growing up in NC and never seeing one until a few years ago!

I think I could live in Florida half the year; not sure about the other half. To me the ideal would be Florida or Arizona for a third of the year (winter) and somewhere north (probably Oregon, Washington, or Minnesota) for a third (summer), then traveling the other third (shoulder seasons). We may well evolve to something like that in our RV rather than racing around quite as much as we have this first year. It's been fun, but I doubt we'll keep up this pace forever!

[north woods gal]

I understand, Emily. I think it would be fun to do all that traveling, day after day, but not sure I could keep up the pace. Sooner or later, my nesting instinct would get the best of me and I'd want to to settle in to an area a bit.

Woke up, this morning, to high winds, temps in the upper 40s and a very cold rain - Florida, this ain't. :) Looks like indoor riding on the trainer, today, but after traveling all day, yesterday via plane and car with no riding, I really NEED to ride. I find that riding helps me to regain my balance, so to speak, anytime I've had a break in my routine. Just one of many, many benefits of riding, of course.

[Sky King]

Tumbleweeds... Last year the DH got a flat tire when the tumbleweed caught in his spoke actually stabbed through the hole in the rabbit rims on his Surly Troll. Over labor day weekend we fought them for several stretches in the Jabridge desert but thankfully no flats.

This past weekend we finally had our first Owyhee Pedal Patrol trip. The Wilderness Ranger at the BLM office is a customer of the shop and he put together this great program of volunteers. We are all Leave no Trace certified and have up to date First Aid and CPR. This trip there was only 4 of us. We camped together Friday night and rode about 6 miles as a group on Saturday then we split into 2 groups to check out specific areas of the Owyhee Wilderness. The DH and I had an awesome camp site overlooking the river. We hiked down to filter water and even saw a fish. Happy to say we didn't see any people besides the two other riders we went with. Sunday we met up about 1:30 and then had the "joy" of climbing back up to the truck - about 4,000 foot elevation gain. We were really pooped. Had to laugh at the Ranger as he learned the valuable lesson of never passing up the opportunity to filter water and top off your supply. We all shared water and we knew there was a spring about 2 miles before we ended the ride. By the time we got there everyone was out of water. We saw Antelope, Deer, coyote and a rattlesnake and the other team saw some elk. Super fun but I am really tired today!
I put a bunch of photos on our facebook page so won't go wild here.

[north woods gal]

Thanks, Sky. Have always liked that area for its stark, rugged beauty and, of course, its isolation. I could be happy, there, rattlesnakes and all.

As for my riding, had planned to sit out the cold and rain, yesterday, my first day back from sunny Florida, but being trapped in a house always drives me nuts, so bundled up, put on the rain gear and just hit the trails around the house for an hour with the fat bike. Had to hose down the big Salsa to remove all the mud when I was done, but that's all part of the game when you ride in dirt on a rainy day. Yeah, send me some of that Owyhee dryness my way.

[emily_in_nc]

Ewww, that sounds like a messy and chilly ride, NWG. I am sure I would have ridden the trainer. I hate mud -- walking in it, riding in it, hiking in it. Just don't like the mess of it nor how it feels underfoot. Ugh.

We are in Kansas now and had a really nice ride today. The campground is HUGE and along a beautiful reservoir, so riding around that a few times plus the road in and out netted me 27 miles. Temps were 65-75 with a light breeze and sunshine. Almost no one here this time of year, so I got passed by maybe 2 cars in 2 hours. Really nice! And I'm breathing much easier being down in the lower elevations again. The mountains are gorgeous, but the elevation made even a little bit of climbing tough for me.

[emily_in_nc]

Meant to add that I just published a blog post on cycling in Dinosaur National Monument, Utah. It was just lovely! This was a couple of weeks ago.

http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/traveling-twosome-blog/great-cycling-in-dinosaur-national-monument

[north woods gal]

Know what you mean about the elevation thing, Emily. Really is a factor, especially when you don't live in a high elevation, year round.

As for the mud thing, well, it's all part of the mountain bike image, I suppose. As they say, a clean mountain bike is a mountain bike that is not being used. :) For sure, I HATE indoor riding and will be doing enough of that this winter when temps fall well below zero. Would rather ride in the rain or even snow, any day. An indoor girl, I have never been.

That Florida heat and sunshine was nice, though, now that I'm back to my north woods. The memory should helpto keep me warm on my upcoming winter rides in the snow with the fat bike.

PS Really enjoying your blogs!

[emily_in_nc]

As for the mud thing, well, it's all part of the mountain bike image, I suppose. As they say, a clean mountain bike is a mountain bike that is not being used.


True, but there is such a thing as riding in dry areas! That's for me. :D I think the younger MTBers like to get as muddy as they possibly can as this shows how hard they rode, or some such. I am certainly not in that subculture, and I have nothing to prove. I think anyone 50+ who is on a MTB should be commended anyway. :rolleyes: We are certainly in a distinct minority.


PS Really enjoying your blogs!

Thank you! It's nice when someone besides my mom reads 'em! :D

[Crankin]

So, it looks like I won't have anymore miles in September. Pathetic. It's going to be raining through Friday, except tomorrow, when I am working from 9-7. I will go to the gym, but unless I ride to work, no more. And the weekend looks even worse.

[ny biker]

Yes my weekly hill ride is rained out, and I'll be out of town this weekend.

Continuing this year's trend of working hard to get in shape then being off the bike just long enough to lose it.

[north woods gal]

Looks like you girls are getting that rain that has been hanging on, here, in northern Wisconsin for three days. Supposed to have sunshine, tomorrow, though. Hang in, there.

Picked up a cold, this week, but said the heck with it and just did a little mountain biking around the house. Might not be the smartest thing to do, but, hey, at least I did some riding.

[ny biker]

I think our rain has actually been coming up from the south. Though I was expecting to get hit with the same storms that have been hitting the midwest -- maybe they stayed farther north and that is what's hitting Massachusetts. We've had showers on and off since yesterday with very heavy rain overnight, more than 4" in Winchester VA which is west of DC, near the WV border, but also very heavy rains yesterday and overnight in southern Maryland, on either side of the Chesapeake Bay -- up to 7". Showers and gray skies and flash flooding expected to continue through tomorrow, and now they're saying rain will linger into the weekend.

It occurred to me this morning that I will be driving home from my weekend trip on Sunday through an area where I love to ride. But I'm already frazzled trying to get packed and all the errands run before I leave tomorrow night, and trying to pack up the bike and all the related gear on top of that would be too much. If I get home early enough and it's not raining (and if 'm not too hungover!) I will try to do a short local ride on Sunday afternoon/evening. I can't go mountain biking around my house but I can do loops on the roads in my 'hood, up and down the hills.

[Crankin]

Looks like the rain is holding off until late Friday night here, so I will be able to do a shorter ride after lunch tomorrow. I did go to the gym this morning and feel a bit better. Looks like the weekend will suck as far as weather goes. And we will have our granddaughter overnight Saturday; had planned to walk into town with her Sunday and take her to Octoberfest Saturday (never too young for a street fair), so even those walking things look doubtful. Hopefully, I will get to the gym.

[ny biker]

Looks like the rain is holding off until late Friday night here, so I will be able to do a shorter ride after lunch tomorrow. I did go to the gym this morning and feel a bit better. Looks like the weekend will suck as far as weather goes. And we will have our granddaughter overnight Saturday; had planned to walk into town with her Sunday and take her to Octoberfest Saturday (never too young for a street fair), so even those walking things look doubtful. Hopefully, I will get to the gym.

Will you or your husband be attaching a trailer to your bike for your grandchildren? I have a friend who took his kids to all the local parks by bike/trailer when they were younger.

[Crankin]

She's not old enough for a trailer, yet. They have to be able to hold their heads up! But, my DH is chomping at the bit to purchase one. He's done some introductory research.
Of course, he's telling me that I am going to be doing the pulling, just to annoy me. I am not sure if I feel comfortable doing that. But, anywhere we would take her would be fairly flat, like into West Concord village, 2 miles away, or even into Concord center, which is about 5 miles. There's a really nice playground in West Concord, so that might be the first place we ride to, with her. I imagine that this will be a purchase for the spring.
We purchased a base unit for her carseat, so that was our big thing for the weekend. Things are way more high tech than they were 34 years ago!

[azfiddle]

Sorry so many of you are being rained out! Actually, we've had rain the last two days but not all day- just afternoon storms. I actually got caught in one yesterday because I really didn't think it was going to rain. I rode 3 miles to go look at a bird and then stood under a shelter for most of an hour during an intense thunderstorm. It eventually slowed, but I finally had my son come to pick me up because it was getting dark and I didn't have my back light.

I posted my Grand Canyon bike tour separately- about 180 miles in four days. Since I got back it's been slower- 4 miles (errands) on Weds and 23 miles on Thursday- to a home visit with a student and some "birding by bike".

[emily_in_nc]

Got in a ride 28-mile ride today and went over 2500 miles on the year. We are in back in Missouri, where we spent a lot of time in early summer, at a different state park campground this time (Long Branch, near Macon). Nice area for riding, though the north wind was a bit chilly today. Still, some nice rural roads and interesting small towns in the area.

I had a close call today that was scary. There were two men riding horses on the road, and when we went to pass them, they got off the road and continued walking on the grass just to the right of the roadway. DH went all the way to the other lane to pass them. I followed him as it looked safe at the time, then I looked back at the men on horses and waved and wished them a good day. By the time I swung my head around to look forward again, there was a car coming right at me! He had decided to pass between me (assuming I was a wrong-way cyclist) and the horses. But I was already on a trajectory to cut back around the horses to the far right side and basically cut right in front of the car!

Fortunately he was going pretty slow. I yelled "oh sh*t!" and managed to dodge him to the right. A definite heart-beater moment! :eek: It was totally my fault as I should have looked carefully before pulling back into the right lane in front of the horses. If I had, I would have seen the car coming sooner and stayed far left. It seemed like he came out of nowhere! Very scary, but a wake-up call to me. I think I've been riding so many bike paths lately that sometimes I forget to check for cars. D'oh!

[azfiddle]

Oh - definitely scary!

[north woods gal]

Whew, Emily! If you ride enough miles ...

We've all done it or, at least, I have. Dang those cars, anyway.

[azfiddle]

Today's ride ended quite suddenly: CRASH!

Very pleasant 28 miles, almost all along the bike path that goes over 60 miles around Tucson. I stopped to look for birds at a park, along the path and at the Sweetwater Wetlands. I rode to my husband's work at the community college, with a plan to meet him in 20 minutes at one more stop. I got about 2 blocks further....

I rode through a construction area on the lane that was just dirt... when it became pavement again, there was a 4-5 inch abrupt rise to the asphalt surface and I hit it hard. I heard the whish of the front tire going flat as I jolted into the curb and landed on my side- got some road rash by my knee, scraped my elbow, and bruised my hip and my ego. I'm a little sore, and the bike is at the bike doctor because the front wheel is making a noise as it spins. I've got a few big band-aids on and some sore muscles still, but a good soak in the tub helped.

It's not too bad- I think i could probably ride the Surly tomorrow along the bike path....but a good reminder to stay focused!

Oh, and I saw about 35 species, including another Peregrine Falcon, possibly a Merlin and a variety of desert, urban and water birds.

[Catrin]

Yikes! Glad you and the bike aren't more damaged. It's also cool that you can still think about all of the different species you saw - especially the Peregrine and a maybe Merlin!

[emily_in_nc]

Yikes, AZ, that sounds painful! So sorry that happened. But like my near-miss, sometimes it takes something like that to remind us to always be in the moment and stay focused. A moment of inattention can cost us way too much!

Hope your boo-boos (and your bike's) heal up quickly with no lasting effects.

[north woods gal]

Been down and bruised more often than I like to admit - sometimes caused by surprisingly little things in the road and other times, as with your incident, more abrupt. Anyway, glad you were able to get up and walk away. Best wishes for a fast recovery.

Been a long time since I've seen a Peregrine. Interestingly, it was in downtown Chicago, sitting high up on a fire escape. They have quite a successful Peregrine program, there, with the birds nesting on skyscrapers and pigeons as their main food source. Previous to that, saw a few Peregrines in their more natural habitat on prairie marshes in Nebraska.

Speaking of raptors, one of the highlights of our recent week in Florida was the awesome number of Osprey I saw. Have never seen so many in one area. Stopped often to watch them dive for fish. We do have them up here, too, but nowhere near those numbers. This one was taken on our honeymoon to Mexico.
http://i65.tinypic.com/wvyced.jpg

[wnyrider]

Sorry for your mishap AZ. I had to google the Merlin. Would I be showing my age with knowing it by its former name-- Pigeon Hawk?! Just did a quick search, so I don't actually know when it became known as a Merlin. Wow, the things I have learned here!

[ny biker]

"Merlin" is an acronym for something at my job, so I was really confused for a minute. Now I can about birds when someone says it at work.

Sorry to hear about the close calls, Emily and AZ. I'm glad there were no serious injuries.

[emily_in_nc]

Gorgeous Osprey photo, NWG. We see so many of them in Florida too.

I posted a blog on our singletrack ride in northern Colorado a couple of weeks ago...such fun. Wish we could ride it again!

http://travelingtwosome.weebly.com/traveling-twosome-blog/a-little-bit-of-singletrack-in-colorado-riding-the-continental-divide-1101-trail

Have not gotten to ride in awhile as we've been traveling. We just entered Ohio today and plan a road ride tomorrow. Can't wait -- we both need it, mentally and physically.